When the Apostle says be not conformed to this world,

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1 St. Gregory s Journal March, olume XII, Issue 3 St. Gregory e Great Orodox Church - A Western Rite Congregation of e Antiochian Archdiocese From a sermon of Saint Peter Chrysologus died 450AD feast day - Decem ber 2 Inside: St. Gregory of Nyssa Parish News The Feast of e Annunciation Calendar When e Apostle says be not conformed to is world, he is correcting e manner of e life of e world, disapproving its practices, passing judgment on its mode of life, denouncing its inclinations, and condemning its luxury. He is warding off all e pomp of worldly vanities, putting em to flight, striving to keep em out of Christian minds. Yet, in is way he is forcibly reminding us, in an abridged manner, of what he stated more at leng at e beginning of is Epistle [Romans], where he gives is picture of e figure of e world in its vices: Being filled wi all iniquity, malice, immorality, avarice, wickedness; being full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity; being whisperers, detractors, hateful to God, irreverent, proud, haughty, plotters of evil; disobedient to parents, foolish, dissolute, wiout affection, wiout mercy. Alough ey have known e ordinance of God, ey have not understood at ose who practice such ings are deserving of dea. And not only do ey do ese ings, but ey applaud oers doing em. B reren, you have heard what e form of e world is - where rough e disorder of crimes e whole appearance of ings has been made hideous; where rough a sinful marriage e whole figure of e world has become loose-jointed; where e very image of e Creator has been ruined by e diseases of sins; where man is buried under vices; where crimes of a corrupted body abound; where a man is e sepulcher of his true self; where in man is discerned not a true man but a corpse. This, erefore, is e form or pattern of e world to which e Apostle forbids us to be conformed. Raer, he transforms us to e form of God. He calls us back to likeness to Christ. He allures us towards e whole pattern of our Creator, wi e words: But be transformed in e newness of your minds. St. Gregory e Great Orodox Church Euclid St. NW, Washington DC Church Office: 7326 Poplar Court, Falls Church, A (703) FrNicholas@AOL.COM Web page:

2 That is, cast away e pattern of is world, and be renewed in your minds rough Christ. Discard e unshapeliness of e antiquated form, and make your nature one remodeled upon at of your Savior, at e newness of your minds may shine for in your deeds, and e man of heaven may walk e ear wi a heavenly deportment. Let it now become clear how e Apostle draws up e pattern of e new man: For just as in one body we have many members, yet all e members have not e same function, so we, e many, are one body in Christ, but severally members one of anoer... He is struggling and taking care at e body, to which he assigns a heavenly function, may rough e harmony and co-operation of e members hold fast its life which is characteristic of heaven and its practices of holiness. He wants neier e foot to interfere rough perverse conceit in e functions of e eye, nor e eye in ose of e foot. Raer, he desires e holy members to be content wi e gifts conferred by e Giver. He wishes all e members to regard what any one member has done as eir own. For, no member which has e honor of being part of e whole body can be of less importance. Hence, e Apostle portrays e functions by means of e members, and e members by means of e functions: He who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhorting; he who gives, in simplicity; he who presides, wi carefulness; he who shows mercy, wi cheerfulness. Let love be wiout pretense. Hate what is evil, hold to what is good, anticipating one anoer wi honor, being kind to one anoer. Be not sloful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving e Lord rejoicing in hope. Be patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer. Share e remembrances of e saints, practicing hospitality. Bless, and do not curse. Rejoice wi ose who rejoice; weep wi ose who weep. Provide good ings not only in e sight of God, but also in e sight of men. Be not wise in your own conceits. To no man render evil for evil. If it be possible, as far as in you lies, be at peace wi all men. Do not avenge yourselves, but give place to e wra. If y enemy is hungry, give him food; if he is irsty, give him drink. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil wi good. Breren, e Apostle revealed above e vice-laden members. Now, he has shown us e virtuous members. He wants e body meant for heaven to be strong wi such great virtues, and robust wi such sinews, at it can easily prostrate e wards of e world and overcome e Devil s assaults. 2

3 It is wonderful to see how, in so may families, physical characteristics are shared by members of e family. The moer s blue eyes are reflected in each of her children; e faer s red hair has been inherited by several of his offspring; and a prominent nose appears in all e family photographs from e great-grandparents to e latest baby. Our genetic inheritance helps to make us who we are. How much more wonderful, however, is e spiritual inheritance of families whose devotion to Christ has been passed from generation to generation. St. Gregory of Nyssa belonged to such a family and was one of many in is family who became saints of e Church. Born around e year 335, Gregory was brought up in e Christian fai wi help from his grandmoer (who is known to us as St. Macrina e Elder), his moer Emily, faer Basil (e Elder), and nine broers and sisters. Among his siblings, his broer Basil (e Great) and sister Macrina (e Younger) are venerated as saints as well as e youngest broer, Peter, who became Bishop of Sebaste. Conversations at dinner in e family home must have been lively eological discussions! Like e oer members of his noble family, Gregory received an excellent education (largely rough e home-schooling of family members) and excelled in his studies. He married Theosevia, an equally devout young woman and pursued a career as a lecturer. At some point he was ordained priest and when Theosevia died unexpectedly, Gregory began to devote more of his energies to defending Orodox Christianity against e reat of Arianism. In e year 372, Gregory s broer Basil (who was Metropolitan of Caesarea), ordained Gregory to be e Bishop of e Cappadocian city of Nyssa. Because of his opposition to e Arians attempts to declare at Christ was not God but a man created by God e Faer, Bishop Gregory was frequently involved in conflict. His Arian enemies, aided by e Arian Emperor alens, were able to falsely accuse him of ings such as embezzlement of church funds and he was twice sent into exile. Each time, he was able to be reinstated and to continue his tireless efforts to preserve Orodoxy. When St. Basil died in 379, Gregory was deeply grieved at e loss of his broer and spiritual companion. Bishop Gregory preached his broer s funeral sermon and finished a series of 3 St. Gregory of Nyssa Feast Day ~ March 9

4 sermons which St. Basil had been working on at e time of his dea. At e dea of eir sister, Macrina, e following year, Gregory wrote about e life of is dear member of his family. In addition to participating in several local synods and traveling to Antioch, Bostra (Arabia) and Jerusalem to help settle disputes, Gregory was instrumental in helping to complete e final section of e Nicene Creed relating to e Holy Spirit added at e Council of Constantinople (e Second Ecumenical Council) in 381. St. Gregory s teachings on e Holy Trinity and e infinite nature of God have had a lasting effect on Christian eology. He and his broer, St. Basil, and eir friend, St. Gregory Nazianzus, are considered e ree great doctors of e Church in defining ese concepts for e Church rough e ages. St. Gregory also contributed much to our understanding of e necessity for eosis, or constant striving to be more like God. St. Gregory himself, having begun life wi a great spiritual heritage from his family, and having spent his life striving for perfection, fell asleep in e Lord at an advanced age around e year 395. We pray at God will give us e will and wisdom to share our fai wi oers in our families, as we share our genetic heritage. May St. Gregory of Nyssa intercede for us. The Feast of e Annunciation One of e great events of Christian history, e Annunciation marks e point at which our salvation - known before time and prophesied rough centuries - became reality in e announcement of e Angel Gabriel and e conception of our Savior by e Blessed irgin Mary. From e earliest days of e Church, e story of is event has been held of highest importance. As wi all e important events in e life of Our Lord and his Church, a liturgical feast day was desired to mark is event. In determining a time to celebrate e Annunciation, e Faers of e Church considered several ings. The Biblical story reports some very specific details: when e Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, her cousin Elizabe was in her 6 mon of pregnancy, a pregnancy which had begun after her husband, Zechariah, served as a priest in e Temple. Zechariah s turn in e priestly rotation is identified as at e Feast of Tabernacles near e Autumn equinox in late September. Thus Mary s conception could be dated at six mons from e date of is festival and e conception of Elizabe. 4

5 The Biblical accounts show e Crucifixion to have taken place at e time of e Passover, near e Spring equinox, wi a standard date of March 25 observed raer an an exact astrological date. It was commonly believed at a person s dea would occur on e same date as his life had begun, us at our Lord s life rd began wi his conception on March 25. Documents from e 3 and 4 century refer to is idea. Alough in some places (Milan, parts of Spain) e Annunciation was observed prior to Christmas (in Advent) for many years, e date of March 25 eventually became universally accepted. An established liturgical celebration for e Annunciation appeared in e Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius (496) and in at of Pope Gregory e Great (604). In e 7 century, a Synod of Toledo (656) and e Trullan Synod (692) bo referred to e feast day as being celebrated in e whole Church. Interestingly, e calendar which was established in 525 and which computed time from e bir of Christ (anno Domini) gave March 25 as e beginning of e new year, and is was maintained in England and oer parts of e world for many centuries. The Church s celebration of e conceptions of our Lord and St. John e Baptist are e clearest indications of our Christian understanding of e beginnings of life. Life is a gift from God and at gift begins wi conception, never to be violated or terminated by man in his sinful self-centeredness. In his work on The Liturgical Year, e nineteen-century Roman Caolic liturgical historian and abbot of Solemnes, Dom Prosper Guéranger wrote about e Feast of e Annunciation: This is a great day, not only to man, but even for God Himself; for it is e anniversary of e most solemn event at time has ever witnessed. On at day, e divine Word, by whom e Faer created e world, was made flesh in e womb of a virgin, and dwelt among us. We must spend it in joy. Whilst we adore e Son of God who humbled Himself by us becoming Man, let us give anks to e Faer, who so loved e world, as to give His only-begotten Son; let us give anks to e Holy Ghost, whose almighty power achieves e great mystery. We are in e very midst of Lent, and yet e ineffable joys of Christmas are upon us: our Emmanuel is conceived on is day, and nine mons hence, will be born in Belehem, and e angels will invite us to come and honour e sweet Babe. Sources; online articles from The Caolic Encyclopedia and Wikopedia; The Liturgical Year: Lent by Abbot Gueranger; The Origins of e Liturgical Year by Thomas Talley. 5

6 Parish News Having begun our Lenten observances on Ash Wednesday, February 29, we will spend e mon of March concentrating on e disciplines of is season: fasting, prayer, penitence, almsgiving. As is our custom at St. Gregory s, we will set aside Friday evenings for Lenten suppers, classes and Stations of e Cross and Benediction. These will begin on Friday, March 9 at 6:30PM. On e First of Lent, March 4, we will join wi oer Orodox Christians for espers for e of Orodoxy when we celebrate e return of e icons following e iconoclastic controversy. There are about 30 Orodox parishes in e Washington area representing most of e enic jurisdictions, and is is a wonderful opportunity for us to affirm our common Orodox fai. The service will be at St. Sophia Greek Orodox Caedral on Wisconsin Avenue at 5:30PM. The Feast of e Annunciation falls on is year, but in e Western tradition, e feast is transferred to e next day. Our celebration will be on Monday, March 26. espers will be at 7PM, e Liturgy at 7:30 and a pot-luck supper will follow. The Archdiocesan Food for e Hungry program coin boxes are available for your collection during Lent. The money collected is distributed by e Archdiocese to help alleviate poverty. Our Advent/Christmas/Epiphany collection resulted in 134 pounds of canned and dry food which we donated to Mara s Table. His Grace, Bishop THOMAS, will make a visitation to St. Patrick s in Warrenton for e eve of St. Patrick s Day, March 16. Please speak wi Fr. Nicholas concerning e details if you are interested in attending e liturgy Parish Council News At its meeting on February 12, e Parish Council elected e following officers: David Caldwell, chairman; Caerine Garcia, vice-chairman; Patrick Woolley, secretary. Karl Tsuji was again appointed treasurer. Oer Council members include Brian Green, Jimmy Lang, and Paul Higgins. There are several standing committees for e parish, such as e building committee for issues regarding our facility; education for School; hospitality for coffee hours, dinners and oer social functions. David will be soliciting help wi ese committees in e next mon and would appreciate volunteers. 6

7 M onday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday March 2012 Services: Matins at 9AM, Sung Mass at 9:30AM 1St. David of Wales, BC, 544 2St. Chad, BC, 672 St. Lucis, 3BM, 254 4First in Lent 11 Second in Lent; St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, BC, c Third in Lent; St. Cyril of Jerusalem, BCD, Four in Lent Ss. Perpetua 5 6& Felicitas, Mm, 203 St. Gre- e 12gory Great, BCD, St. Joseph, Spouse of e Blessed irgin; st 1 c. 26 The Annunciation of e Blessed irgin Mary (transferred) Mass at 7:30pm W 7 Ember Wednesday 8 9 Ember Friday; St. Gregory of Nyssa, BCD, 394 e Cross at St. Cu- BC, 20bert, 687 St. John 27of Damascus, CD, c. 760 Confessions may be made after espers, during e Psalms at Matins, and by appointment. 21 Repose of St. Benedict, c e Cross at e Cross at St. John of e Ladder, Ab, 649 e Cross at espers at 6pm 10 Ember Saturday; Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Mm, 320 espers at 6pm St. Pa- BC, 17trick, 461 espers at 6pm St. Gabriel 24e Archangel espers at 6pm 31 St. Innocent of Alaska, BC, 1879 espers at 6pm Coffee Hour follows Liturgy.